To: The incoming Biden Administration, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, Antony Blinken, Samantha Power, Jen Psaki, Kate Bedingfield

The United States Must Join COVAX

The United States has reserved vaccines for almost 200% of its population, with the option to purchase vaccines for more than 400% of its population. Hoarding vaccines won't end the pandemic sooner, and supporting COVAX, a global initiative to ensure access to vaccines for low-income countries, isn’t charity. It’s a practical way to keep COVID-19 at bay in the long run, to slow the spread of this deadly virus and give it fewer chances to mutate.

Why is this important?

Vaccine nationalism—clearing the shelves of the COVID vaccine before low-income countries have a chance to access any shots at all—will prolong the pandemic for the entire world, not just for individuals living in countries with less vaccine access. It is imperative that the United States work to scale up global vaccine manufacturing capacity during this pandemic, so that the world can end this pandemic quickly and be better prepared to swiftly tackle the next one.

Learn more here:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2020-12-29/vaccine-nationalism-will-prolong-pandemic

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/18/who-just-25-covid-vaccine-doses-administered-in-low-income-countries#

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/coronavirus-vaccine-doses-reserved.html

Updates

2021-02-23 22:39:55 -0500

Joe Biden committed 4 billion dollars to support COVAX! This is a great start to promoting global vaccine equity. I'd encourage everyone to write to your representatives (or give them a call!) and ask them to support manufacturing and production capacity in low-income countries and to support an IP waiver so that knowledge about how to produce vaccines can be shared and replicated! If you support donating vaccine supplies, not just money, let them know that too! https://www.vox.com/22291086/biden-covax-united-states-covid-19-vaccinations-world-g7

2021-01-23 01:26:59 -0500

100 signatures reached

2021-01-22 13:24:35 -0500

50 signatures reached

2021-01-22 11:31:07 -0500

25 signatures reached

2021-01-22 10:55:43 -0500

10 signatures reached